Chef Academy Showcase 2023 Cookbook

Duck breast with fondant potatoes, honey roasted baby carrots and kale, with a port and poultry jus Method: Preparation 1 Wash and peel the potatoes. Then, using a 7.5cm cutter, cut the potatoes into cylinder shapes, slicing them to make the ends flat. 2 Prep the kale and wash, clean and prep the baby carrots. 3 Prep the duck. On the flesh side, remove any sinews with the tip of your knife. 4 Flip the duck and score the skin in a criss-cross pattern. This will help with the rendering down of the fat and presentation. Cooking 1 Place the butter in a saucepan and let it foam. Add the garlic, letting it infuse. 2 Add the potatoes, allowing them to colour on one side and then turn them. When they colour on the second side, add 100ml stock and cover, leaving on a low heat while ensuring it doesn’t burn. Place in the oven for 10-15 minutes, until tender. 3 Place the duck – skin down – in a cold pan, and slowly render down the fat until golden. Then, flip and seal the underside. 4 Place in a heated oven for 8-9 minutes; core temperature of 54°C for pink. 5 Place carrots into boiling water to blanch. Cook until al dente, then remove and leave to drain. 6 Reduce the port by half in a saucepan. Add the remainder of the stock and let it reduce to your desired consistency, then season. 7 Blanch the kale in boiling water and pan-fry the carrots with the honey, until golden brown. Finishing 1 Leave the duck to rest for 5 minutes. When assembling the rest of the dish, place the fondant potato just off-centre of the plate. Interlayer the kale and carrots beside the potato and drizzle the sauce around it. 2 Slice the duck into 3 pieces. Place on top of the kale and carrots, garnish with micro herbs and serve. Ingredients: - 2 Gressingham duck breasts - 2 Maris Piper potatoes, regular sized - 6 baby carrots - 30g curly kale - 30ml port - 300ml poultry stock - 75g butter, unsalted - 1 tbsp honey - 1 clove of garlic Best HIT Chef Academy moment Learning the science of thermology – and the workshops are great! 2 Serves: